This application relates generally to hand-held electronic devices, such as flash drives containing non-volatile flash memory, that individually include a mating plug, such as an electrical plug following the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, that allows removable connection of the devices with host systems.
A type of non-volatile semiconductor flash memory, commonly called a flash drive, is a small hand-held portable device that contains a USB plug as an integral part of it. The USB plug is inserted during use into a USB receptacle of a host system such as a personal computer (PC), notebook computer, portable digital assistant (PDA) and the like. The memory system within the flash drive is electrically connected to the host system through the USB connector plug for transferring data therebetween. The memory system also receives operating power through the USB connector plug. The USB connector plug conforms to the Universal Serial Bus Specification, chapter 6 of Revision 2.0 including mechanical specifications for the connectors. A line of USB flash drives is sold by SanDisk Corporation, assignee of the present application, under its Cruzer trademark.
One class of flash drives includes caps for the user to place on the USB connector plug when the device is not being used, in order to exclude dust and other particulate material from entering openings of the plug. Such caps are most commonly simple plastic coverings that are easily slipped on and off the plug by hand. Some removable caps, however, are provided with a more positive attachment mechanism that removably latches them to the plug. Such caps are commonly lost by users of flash drives when removed from the USB plug.
Another class of flash drives includes a mechanism that allows the user to withdraw the USB plug into the body of the flash drive when not in use. The plug assembly, including a flash memory module, are made to be slidable along the length of the flash drive body between extreme positions, one position being where the USB plug extends out of an end of the body a sufficient distance to be inserted into a mating receptacle of a host system, and the other extreme position being where the plug is withdrawn entirely into the body. SanDisk flash drives sold under the Cruzer Titanium and Cruzer Micro trademarks include such a sliding mechanism. A knob attached to the sliding mechanism extends out through an elongated opening on the top of the flash drive body so that it may be easily manipulated by hand to extend and withdraw the plug through another opening at an end of the body. The mechanism is positively held with respect to the body when in the fully extended and fully withdrawn positions by a resiliently engaged detent that is released by the user pushing the knob into the body at the same time as the knob is urged to extend or withdraw the mechanism from the end opening of the body.